ACTION CODE: SPECIAL NOTICE

CLASSIFICATION CODE: 99 - Miscellaneous

SUBJECT: Purchase of optically-contacted metal-on-quartz

SOLICITATION NUMBER: SB1341-17-RQ-0470

RESPONSE DATE: 10 days after posting

DESCRIPTION:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) (1), with Starna Cells, Inc. located at 5950 Traffic Way, Atascadero, CA 93422-4256 to purchase optically-contacted metal-on-quartz for UV/visible Transmittance standard SRM 2031.

The sole source justification is based on the following: NIST's Material Measurement Laboratory has exhausted its inventories of the SRM (2031b). This SRM is produced by evaporating a metal coating onto fused silica and then optically contacting another piece of fused silica onto the metal. The difficult process of optically contacting metal to fused silica is not available commercially until quite recently. Optiglas Ltd., through Starna Cells, Inc., has recently offered a commercial version of SRM 2031, which is optically contacted. NIST has tested these materials and has found them to be consistent with the specifications necessary for producing the SRM. NIST has also tested metal coatings on silica, which were protected with an additional coating (e.g., silicon dioxide) or with no coating at all, and found the optical contacting of fused silica to be the only form of protection that makes the material robust and homogenous enough to produce the quality and specifications needed for SRM 2031. These specifications include homogeneity to 0.8% over a 32 mm2 area, robustness such that the filters are highly scratch resistant and their Transmittance values change by less than 0.5% after repeated wet cleaning with methanol and lens paper, and stability of Transmittance over a 6-month period.

Market research has shown that Starna Cells, Inc. is the sole company who can provide this requirement to NIST.

Given these facts, Starna is the only source reasonably available to provide the required SRM materials.

The resulting purchase order will be a Firm Fixed Price purchase order. The NAICS Code is 325199 with a size standard of 1,250 employees.

No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties who regard themselves as capable of fulfilling these requirements are invited to submit responses to the Government for consideration. Responses received by 05:00 pm EST 06/04/2017, will be considered by the Government.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Inquiry POCs:
[email protected] Primary
[email protected] Secondary
National Institutes of Standards and Technologies NIST
Acquisition Management Division (AMD)
100 Bureau Dr. Mail Stop 1640
Gaithersburg, MD. 20899-1640